Trail Tuesday

Grubstake Loop, Apex Park Open Space

Apex Park

I met up with Bryan, another Team In Training participant in the Apex Park Open Space lot just west of Golden, CO, home of the Coors Brewery, the Colorado School of Mines, the National Renewable Energy Lab, and the American Mountaineering Center. Apex used to be its own city, a supply hub for the mining districts in the mountains to the west. The course of our run would follow the old toll road that carried wagonloads of food and dry goods to the prospectors in the gold fields above. Bryan and I met to run together on one of our tougher training days with a planned route that would cover about five miles with somewhere in the range of 1200 feet of elevation gain. The sun was low in the western sky and our route started up the shaded canyon, climbing over jutting rocks, and wooden steps.  The temperature in the late afternoon had come down from the high to settle in the mid-eighties and avoiding the direct sun helped keep us comfortably warm instead of sweltering hot. Bryan and I just met a few days ago so we spent the time getting to know each other  when we weren’t out of breath and passed the time quickly. Up the Apex Trail to the Pick N’ Sledge Trail and the Grubstake Loop, names echoing the mining history of the Apex Open Space. Running with a partner definitely helps with motivation and makes the run easier. The Loop is quintessential Front Range Running. The elevation makes it a challenge that may not be the first choice for trail beginners but it was just what Bryan and I were looking for. And we’ve just scratched the surface. We’ve planned to explore more trails together as the season continues.